What’s the Summer Read?

All incoming first-years will read a book together before coming to campus. You will discuss it, write about it, and then hear the author talk about it as part of your First-Year Seminar.

What We Lose, the 2017 debut novel by Zinzi Clemmons, has been selected as our 2018 Salem Signature First-Year Read. For the first time, we’re collaborating with Bookmarks to schedule the First-Year Read author’s visit, which will include an evening presentation to our First-Year Class and the general public. Clemmons’ visit is currently scheduled for Thursday, September 6.

The novel is an incisive portrait of identity formation, conceptions of family and motherhood, and the evolution of conceptions of race in our world. The National Book Foundation selected Clemmons as one of their 5 Under 35 for 2017, and a variety of publications placed the novel on their Top Ten lists for last year.